Hand stamp



Jan. 14, 1958' E. s. MOANENY HAND STAMP Filed Feb. 25, 1955 UnitedStates PatentO HAND STAMP Edward G. McAneny, Norton Hill, N. Y.Application February 23, 1955, Serial No. 489,866 3 Claims. (Cl.101-425) This invention relates to improvements in stamping devices,having particular reference to hand stamps, in which the printing blockmember is made of a trans parent material, whereby the printing legends,or indicia, on the bottom surface are readily discernable, or readable,through the block, and the provision of such a stamp, including relatedimprovements, is a principal object of the invention.

Hand stamps of this general type are well known throughout variousindustries, particularly in post offices throughout the country, andtheir manner of use need not be illustrated nor described in detail.Sulfice it to say, therefore, that it is frequently necessary to usesuch stamps bearing different legends, or indicia, a plurality of whichare conventionally supported in a rack, or in other suitable means. Thegeneral appearance of these stamps is quite similar. Indeed, in manycases they appear to be almost identical. It is thus necessary carefullyto view and inspect such a stamp, even after careful selection, beforeuse to be certain that it bears the desired legend, or indicia, as wellas to be sure that it is not going to be applied to a printable surfacein a manner such that it Will print in an inverted or upside-downposition. This necessity for careful selection and inspection beforeusing such conventional stamps is sometimes confusing and conducive toerror, and often causes appreciable loss of time, as well asinconvenience.

It has long been recognized among users of many such conventional typesof stamps that it would be a distinct improvement if anyone could find asatisfactory solution to a problem which gives rise to such difiicultiesand other disadvantages as those above set forth, and this has now beenaccomplished by means of the present invention.

Generally, it is also an object of the present invention to provide sucha stampthat is economic of manufacture, positive of selection and inoperation, and otherwise well suited to the purposes for which it isintended.

Specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a hand stampconstituting a unitary printing block member and a printing legend meansintegral with the bottom printing wall surface of such member, themember being characterized in that it is made or formed from a materialthat is transparent, preferably a plastic material, for example, anacrylic resin, such as Lucite, whereby the legend, when the member isviewed as the side Wall surfaces, is readable in the manner in which itwill appear when the legend is coated with ink and applied to aprintable surface.

Other specific objects are to provide a hand. stamp in which the legendstands in integral relief from the bottom wall of the printing block; inwhich a hand; gripping pressure applying member is removably connectedto the printing block member, such as, for example, a handlefrictionally engaging a cavity within the top of the block, preferablyhaving pressure applying means mounted therein to disengage the sametherefrom; or in which the block is provided with oppositely disposedend lugs and from: the top; as well N 2,819,658 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 2having a hand gripping bridge provided at each end with a clawfrictionally, but removably, to engage the lugs.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide aprinting block member having a cavity therein providing bottom and sidewalls, the bottom wall being apertured to form printing indicia openingstherein, and an inking and printing device frictionally, but removably,mounted within the cavity, the device being composed of a containermember, having an open bottom, and a resilient ink absorbing printing.pad confined therein, but extending marginally from the open bottom inorder to penetrate the apertures to provide printing indicia, wherey toreproduce such indicia on a printable surface.

A further specific object of the invention is also to provide a handgripping pressure applying member connected to the top of the containerfor applying the stamp to a printable surface, and means containedtherein for applying ink to the pad in the container.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties, and the relation of elements which will beexemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For afuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed. description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig; 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a hand stamp, withfragmentary portions broken away for illustrative purposes, of apreferred embodiment of the invention;

' Fig". 2' is a perspective view of the stamp illustrated in Fig. 1, butin assembled relation, depicting the result of its application to aprintable surface;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section view of Fig. 2;

Fig; 4 is a perspective view of a modified form Off hand stamp embodiedby the invention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 4, but somewhat enlarged;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a container or rack for holding aplurality of such stamps, as well as removable handles; and

Fig. 7 is a: perspective view of a further modification of ahand: stampand handle embodied by the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing; there isillustrated generally at 10 a preferred embodiment of a; hand stamp.This comprises the combination of a" printing block member 11 having acavity therein indicated generally at 12 which provides a bottom wall 13and' side walls 14. The bottom wall is apertured in anysuitable mannerto provide indicia, or legend, openings therethrou'gh as indicated at15. This block is made of a transparent material, preferably of anacrylic resin, such as, for example, Lucite, so that legends, orindicia, when viewed from the top, as well as through the side Wallsurfaces, is readable in the manner in which the same will appear whenthe assembled stamp is applied to a printable surface.

F'rictionally, but removably, 12 is an inking and" printing containermember 16 which is open at its bottom and preferably closed at it's top.The container has a resilient ink absorbing printi ng pad 17 securedtherein, preferably of sponge rubber, or'othersuitablematerial. This padextends an appreciable distance marginally from the open bottom of thecontainer member 12 as indicated at 18, so that when the same is pusheddown into the cavity with sutficient pressure in utilizing the stamp,portions of the pad will penetrate the apertured bottom of the printingmounted within the cavity device which comprises a block, whereby toreproduce such indicia, or legends, on i a printable surface.

A hand gripping pressure applying member, or handle, 19 is secured tothe top of the container and preferably is screw-threaded therein,although the same may frictionally be engaged thereto.

The handle 19 has a longitudinal opening therein as at 20. One endthereof is closed by a plug 21 screw-threaded therein at the bottom ofthe handle where it is fitted into the top of the container, the plughaving a smaller coaxial opening therethrough. At the top of the handleis a shoulder 22 also having a coaxial opening therethrough. Within thelarger opening there is placed a resilient cylindrical bulb 23containing asuitable ink 24. At the bottom of the bulb is a nozzle 25penetrating the opening in the plug 21 and communicating with the pad17. Also mounted within the opening 20 is a plunger 26 having an annularring 27 abutting the bottom of the shoulder 22. When the plunger isdepressed, as indicated in Fig. 3, ink 24 from the bulb 23 will besprayed or atomized over the pad 17 to saturate the same. Also, in Fig.3, the pad 17 is shown merely overlying the openings 15, but it will beunderstood that upon further sufiicient down ward pressure thereof thesame will be made to penetrate the openings 15 a sufficient distance sothat printing upon stamping action can be made to occur.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a unitary or solid printing block member28 also formed of transparent material having printing legends integralwith the bottom of the block.

the same either being cast or carved therefrom to stand out in relieffrom the bottom wall as indicated at 29. Preferably, the bottom printingsurface of the legends are roughened, or pitted, such as by sandblastingor the like which makes for more desirable transfer of ink duringprinting or stamping. It will be observed that the legends when viewedfrom the top, as well as from the'side wall surfaces, is likewisereadable in the manner in which it will appear when the legend is coatedwith ink and applied to a printable surface.

There is also a cavity 30 in the top Wall of the printing block 28 forthe reception of a handle 31, frictionally, b'ut removably, to beengaged therein. Preferably, the handle 31 also has a coaxial bore ofdifferent diameter. In the bottom of the handle where it is fitted intothe printing block there is a plug 32 having a coaxial opening therein,thereby forming a sleeve. Mounted within the bore of the handle andsleeve 32 is a plunger 33 which is springloaded as indicated at 34.whereby more readily toseparate the handle 31 from the block 28 bydownward pressure thereon.

A rack or container 35 is adapted to contain a plurality of diiferentprinting blocks 36. The same also being provided with a pocket 37 forthe handle 31.

It will be observed that all of the other printing blocks 36 areprovided with cavities 30 for the reception of the handle 31 when it isdesired to interchange the same. It will be seen that the legends on thebottom of such blocks are readily readable because of the transparentnature of the printing block, and this is true despite the cavities orholes 30 in the top thereof for the reception of the handle.

In order, however, to avoid any interference in reading through theprinting blocks 36, the holes 30 can be eliminated and a modified formof the invention provided as shown in Fig. 7. In a hand stamp of thischaracter, also made of transparent material, there is shown a printingblock member 38 provided at each end with a lug 39. A hand grippingpressure applying member, in the form of a bridge element 40, isprovided at each end with a claw 41 of a size adapted frictionally, butremovably, to engage the lugs 39.

While no rack or container for the printing blocks of Figs. 1 through 3and Fig. 7 has been illustrated, it will be understood that it is withinthe contemplation of the invention to provide the same as in the case ofthe modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may readilyand efliciently be attained, and since certain changes may be made inthe above article and different embodiments of the invention could bemade without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a hand stamp of the character described, a trans parent printingblock member having a cavity therein providing side walls and apermanent closed bottom wall integrally connecting said side walls, saidbottom wall having openings therethrough representing indicia forprinting purposes; an inking and printing device including a containermember having side walls and a closed top wall frictionally but slidablyinterfittiug the cavity of said block member and being adaptedinterchangeably to receive similar block members with different indicia;a resilient ink-absorbing printing pad confined in said containermember, but extending marginally from the bottom a distance sufficientto penetrate the openings in the bottom wall of said cavity; a handgripping pressure applying handle connected to the top of saidcontainer, which handle has a longitudinal opening therein; resilientmeans mounted within said opening for releasably holding a quantity ofink in overlying communication with said pad; and means in said handlefor actuating said resilient means to release said ink to saturate saidpad.

2. In a hand stamp of the character defined in claim 1, and furthercharacterized in that said ink holding means consists of a resilientcylindrical bulb, closed at its top end and having a nozzle at thebottom end, removably mounted in coaxial alignment with said handle.

3. In a hand stamp of the character defined in claim 1, and furthercharacterized in that said actuating means consists of a plungercoaxially mounted within said handle against said resilient means at oneend and exposed at its other end at the top of 'said handle to beactuated by finger pressure of an operator to ink said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,321,299 Gardner Nov. 11, 1919 1,518,727 Bernstein Dec. 9, 19241,547,356 Berr July 28, 1925 1,782,877 Madden Nov. 25, 1930 1,788,681Melind Jan. 13, 1931 2,078,535 Hegadorn Apr. 27, 1937 2,664,820 BrownIan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,203 Germany Mar. 5, 1930 531,226Germany Aug. 6, 1931 568,467 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1945

